Contingency plans are critical to the success of community pharmacy. Unfortunately, we have seen and heard too many times lately that pharmacies are closing or being sold to chains because the owner gets sick or dies.

What happens to your pharmacy tomorrow if you cannot or do not show up to work?  This is one of the things that we say is critical, but not urgent.  No one wants to think they may get sick or about a natural disaster until it is directly upon us.  Rick and I were in Atlantic City, NJ the day before Hurricane Sandy came through for the NJ Pharmacist Convention.  We saw the contingency plans of the hotels, casinos and restaurants actually being implemented.  They were boarding up windows and evacuating the town.  We also saw many of our clients have to work through the aftermath of Hurricane Irene after it devastated the Mid Atlantic.  Some of these pharmacies were without electricity for extended periods of time.  Not every reason for a contingency plan is as obvious as a natural disaster, here are a few others:

1. Sickness.  The last think you will want to have to worry about in the event of becoming critically ill is who is going to unlock the door at the pharmacy the next day.  Rick once left work on a Friday with a mild cough and did not return for the next nine weeks due to a severe case of pneumonia.  He had to have a surgical procedure to remove the fluid from his lungs, and the last thing he wanted to have to worry about was the office. 
2. Death.  As much as we like to avoid this topic, there is a possibility for all of us of a premature death.  If this happens, we certainly do not want to leave our family the extra responsibility of caring for the pharmacy.  They will have many other pressing things going on in that moment.  How will the pharmacy be affected if there is no written plan of action?
3. Loss of a critical employee.  Pharmacy contingency plans are not just crucial for the owner of the pharmacy.  It is imperative that each critical employee is accounted for in your plan.  What happens if my manager cannot be at work tomorrow?  What about my most valuable technician?  What if my bookkeeper cannot work for an extended period of time?  All of these are questions that must be addressed. 

These are just some of the scenarios where a pharmacy contingency plan will come into effect.  Take some time and put them down on paper, and if it is ever needed, it will certainly be worth the effort.